The present invention relates to methods and systems for obtaining information from a computer. More particularly, the present invention relates to an agent as a guide for providing information to the user.
Many computer-implemented applications often include some form of a computer-animated character to provide information and/or interact with the computer user to solicit or provide information. One particular form, herein referred as a “talking head”, is becoming increasingly used in a variety of applications including video games and web-based customer services. Commonly, a talking head is a frontal view of a head, a neck and shoulders. In this manner, the talking head simulates a person that the computer user can interact with. In many instances, the talking head makes interaction with the computer more comfortable and entertaining.
Significant problems however exist with current implementations of talking heads. In many applications, the talking head or other form of agent is animated or cartoon-based, which although may be easier to implement does not simulate a conversation with a real person, and thereby, may take away from the quality of the presentation. Although video-based systems have also been implemented, which use stored frames of a real person and render the frames in a lip-syncing manner when voice audio is presented, a conversation with this form of talking head is not realized. In particular, in such applications the agent will move when audio is presented; however, during times when the computer is listening, or otherwise receiving input, the talking head is frozen.
There thus is an on-going need to improve rendering of a talking head in a computer application. A system and method that addresses one, several or all of the above-identified problems would be particularly advantageous.